NMSU Softball Splits On Final Day In Tempe

Sun, 03/08/2020 - 5:48pm by Sam Wasson

Written By: NM State Athletic Dept.

TEMPE, AZ - The New Mexico State softball team picked up its third Power 5 win in as many days with a 4-1 win over Nebraska at the Arizona State Invitational on Sunday. The Aggies lost their second game of the day 7-4 against Lehigh.

GAME ONE
Coming off back-to-back wins over #17 Arizona State and Oregon State, the Aggies took on Nebraska of the Big 10 in the first game of the day.

The Huskers (9-14) got on the board early and took a 1-0 lead after an RBI single by Olivia Ferrell in the top of the first inning. However, NM State loaded the bases with one out and Chloe Rivas came through with a two-run single for a 2-1 Aggie lead.

After Matalasi Faapito shut out Nebraska in the second and third, New Mexico State added to its lead in the bottom of the third. Freshman Ramsay Lopez led off the inning with her ninth home run of the season and giving the Aggies a 3-1 cushion.

NM State tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an RBI triple from freshman Hailey Tanori. Faapito cruised from there and the Aggies won 4-1.

Faapito tossed 7.0 innings with one run, three hits and six strikeouts, including six-straight scoreless innings. This was the Aggies third win over a Power 5 team in the last three days.

GAME TWO
The Aggies wrapped up the Arizona State Invitational with a game against Lehigh on Sunday afternoon.

NM State got on the board first with a two-run double from Faapito in the bottom of the first. However, the Mountain Hawks bounced back in the top of the second, tying the game with two runs of their own before taking a 3-2 lead in the top of the third.

The lead was short lived, however, as Rivas knocked in her third and fourth RBI of the day on a single in the bottom of the third to NM State back on top, 4-3.

Each team was held scoreless until the top of the sixth inning when Lehigh tied the game at four. Then the Mountain Hawks took control with three runs in the top of the seventh. The Aggies were held scoreless in the bottom half and fell 7-4.

Hailey Tanori had a great game at the plate, going 2-4 and scoring two runs.

UP NEXT
The Aggies return home for the first time since the Troy Cox Classic for the Battle of I-25 against New Mexico on Tuesday, March 11, at 5:30 p.m. at the NM State Softball Complex.